


Easily

by neverwinter (KingPreussen)



Series: it takes a village [20]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Gen, M/M, Minor Injuries, Non-Graphic Violence, Spellcasting, rated for language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2019-04-07 15:04:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14083560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KingPreussen/pseuds/neverwinter
Summary: Disbelief swiftly turned into anger. Taako didn't think he had the quickest temper in his family but he was definitely in the top five, and nothing made him madder faster than threats against his kid.---Taako: I can handle it.Angus: It's been handled :^)





	Easily

**Author's Note:**

> title from [easily](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srfAkxwljuw)
> 
> warnings for sex talk, violence between minors, and one canon-atypical swear
> 
> i realize i havent written in taakos pov for some time so i gave it the old college try, but i seem to have lost my rhythm haha. please bear with me as i re-find his voice. after the black bar the pov changes to kravitz (i wrote his part first. hopefully the transition isnt too glaring or hard to parse)
> 
> also i pushed the dates back on the past few fics. it wont really affect anything too much, i just wanted this fic to happen earlier than it would have. the date is in the series description

"Don't tell me you hit her," Taako asked as he zipped the fly on his black skinny jeans over a pair of optimistically lacy red panties. He was grinning widely as he spoke, despite the chiding tone of his voice, and Lup could probably tell. "It's not her fault her man was all over you."

He rotated his Levitating full-length mirror with a lazy motion of his hand, looking at the curve of his ass with a critical eye in the morning light coming in through his window. The shades were open all the way but the sheer curtains in front of them definitely toned down the glare to something more flattering. Not for the first time, Taako regretted not having the energy to keep up with Instagram. 

Lup's grin was just as audible as Taako's own, despite her physical distance. He had set his cell phone on speaker on his vanity as he dressed; he hadn't been to a club in almost eight months, and he could honestly say he missed a lot of the drama, so Lup's call was a blessing. " _Exactly, dude,_ " Lup said. " _It's_ his _. She decided to be a… cunning stunt, and got her ass beat for it._ "

Taako snorted at her non-swear. "Angles is at school, sis," he reminded her. He struggled a bit while pulling a black bandeau over his head, unused to the way the elastic sat on his chest, but it was also hot as shit outside and he wanted to wear a mesh shirt. "What kind of fucking example are you setting for him, anyways?"

" _You're his dad, not me! And you know damn well you'd have done the same thing._ "

"Oh fuck off," he said instead of admitting she was right. Taako had a much easier time with his crochet tank top than he had with the bandeau. Another twirl of his finger made the mirror move to a different angle, and Taako took down his messy bun to braid his hair instead. "Listen bubeleh, I promise, first thing I do after payday is come help you pull."

Lup hummed doubtfully. " _You'll probably get stopped at the door by Death Grips for dressing too slutty. Maybe you should_ bring _your boytoy, so you don't get in trouble,_ " she teased.

"I can dance for a few hours without fucking some stranger, Lup. He doesn't need to babysit me." Taako clattered around in his vanity for his wooden toothbrush and the edge gel he _knew_ he bought just a few days ago. When he found it, somehow at the very bottom of the drawer, it took a few seconds of struggling with the lid to open it.

" _Not you I'm worried about. Which one of us got their dress torn by some handsy drunk at the last Halloween party at Mihka?_ "

"You know that dress was made of tissue paper and dreams, sis." Lup laughed, and Taako wasn't confident whether it was with him or at him. "Speaking of boytoy, Krav will be here in like, two minutes. I'll call you back in a little while."

" _I'm sure you will, post-spine realignment--_ "

Taako hovered his hand over the call-end button. " _Bye_ , Lup," he said, and then hung up on her. They didn't used to be able to embarrass each other with sex talk, but ever since Taako got serious with Kravitz he also became more protective of his sex life. Lup took a lot of joy in being able to fluster him where he couldn't get her back.

It didn't help that he was considering returning to cam work, at least sporadically. He made good money when he performed full time and it was easier to pick his hours when he worked for himself. In order to reclaim his account, he would _need_ to talk to Lup _very explicitly_ about his sex life: her friend was the one who ran the private server he worked off of and let him keep over 80% of his income. Other, commercial sites had shitty contracts and treated their performers like they were disposable.

Never mind having to talk to _Kravitz_ about it. It wasn't like moving from office job to office job, something that could be glossed over during dinner. He would have to get used to Taako showing paying customers what other boyfriends always considered "theirs".

The intercom buzzer at the front door rang and Taako shook those thoughts out of his head. _be right down_ , he texted Kravitz with one hand, and then swiped two quick eyeliner wings on with liquid pencil.

Contrary to Lup's belief, Taako wasn't using his Friday off to get his vertebrae adjusted. He invited Kravitz to do perfectly chaste couple-like things all day, and then they would pick Angus up after school and take him to dinner. A solid plan, Taako thought when he made it. Describing it to Kravitz the night before in a series of emoji-filled texts and getting an approving voice message in return only boosted his confidence.

Taako grabbed his phone, his wallet, and his keys and dumped them into one of the cute tiny backpacks he and Lup were so into a few years ago. Then he rushed to make sure all the lights were turned off and left the apartment. 

Kravitz was waiting for him by his car, leaning against the passenger side door as always. "Darling," he said in that way he knew made Taako weak in the knees and stepped forward to cup Taako's jaw and kiss him. "Which do you want to do first, the lake or the museum?"

Hearing his ideas said back to him made Taako's face heat and he looked away. Kravitz was pretty much the only person Taako had dated in fifty years who would indulge him in all this romantic shit. "It'll get way too hot after twelve. Let's just go to the lake first," he said.

"I like the way you think," Kravitz murmured, smirking when Taako's face only got redder. Their little service games usually stayed firmly in the bedroom but every so often Kravitz would praise Taako in public and make his heart skip a beat or two. "I want to get you a coffee first. Have you had breakfast?" He guided Taako to step back with a hand on his waist so he could open the car door and help him inside.

"Yeah, I have, but coffee sounds nice." Taako held the door open with his hand on the inner handle just long enough to steal another kiss. That kiss turned into several before Kravitz got the idea to pull back.

"Don't worry, love," Kravitz said from only a few inches away, "You planned time for that later." He closed the door while Taako hid his face in his hands, grinning like an idiot and trying to will away his blush.

Kravitz _thankfully_ eased up on embarrassing Taako after that. Instead he held Taako's hand, or tucked a stray curl behind his ear, or looked at him like he was the luckiest man in history. These were all things Taako was used to, so they just elicited self-satisfied grins. 

He paid for Taako's coffee but didn't get any for himself. By the time Taako noticed, they were already out of the little shop and Kravitz was maneuvering his car back onto the street. "You're not getting away with that, Krav, I hope you know," Taako said around his straw.

"I think I am, in fact," Kravitz replied, smirking like the cat who got the cream.

Taako did like that expression on his face, just not when it meant he was losing an argument. "You wait. In a year I'll be so fucking spoiled you won't want anything to do with me."

Kravitz shook his head and lifted his right hand off the gearshift to instead reach for Taako and interlace their fingers. "If I manage to spoil you that much in a year, I'm living the dream."

"Stop making it hard to argue with you," Taako whined, only half joking. Kravitz snickered and squeezed his fingers. That probably meant he wasn't going to stop; for all Taako loved to complain about it, this was actually a good thing.

Their walk was unfortunately cut short. They only made it a quarter mile around the lake, still bickering good-naturedly and holding hands, when Taako's phone rang in his bag. He was tempted to fish it out and silence it, but his glance at the number made him literally pause in the middle of the path.

Kravitz stopped with him. "What's wrong, love?" he asked, leaning in to look over Taako's shoulder.

"It's, uh… pumpkin's school." Taako's mind raced with possibilities as he used his thumb to answer the call and brought the phone to his ear. Maybe there was a fire at the school and the kids were being evacuated, or Angus got suddenly sick and needed the hospital. He tried not to assume too much and answered, "Hello?"

" _Hello Mr Taaco,_ " greeted a friendly voice. " _This is Braenwynn Muirdal calling on behalf of Neverwinter Academy. Your son Angus is in administration because of a physical altercation, and we need you to come retrieve him as soon as possible._ "

Taako took a breath to keep from tripping over his words. "Of course. I-is he okay?"

" _Angus needs healing, but it isn't an emergency. We have in his records your request minor injuries get healed at home._ "

"Yeah, shit, uh. I'm on my way." Taako hung up and stood with his phone in his hand for a few seconds.

Kravitz gently laid a hand on his hip and squeezed, other hand occupied with what was left of Taako's coffee. "Darling?" he asked softly.

Taako blinked a few times. "Um. We need to go to Angus' school. They told me he got in a fight?" Saying it again drove home to Taako how little sense that made. Angus was quite the opposite of a fighter, and not even a teenager on top of that. Who at the academy would be picking a fight with him?

And then disbelief swiftly turned into anger. Taako didn't think he had the quickest temper in his family but he was definitely in the top five, and nothing made him angrier faster than threats against his kid. "He's at the administrators' offices. I swear to fucking Istus, if he's seriously hurt, I'll Disintegrate every one of them."

"It's probably minor, Taako," Kravitz tried to reassure him, but Taako waved his hand dismissively.

"Let's just go." He caught the frustration in his voice and consciously attempted to soften it, adding a "please" to his request after the fact. Kravitz, bless him, was already leading the way back to his car before Taako asked politely. They would be at the school in only about twenty minutes and then Taako could properly direct his sharp tongue.

* * *

The car had hardly parked before Taako was opening the door and stepping out into the parking lot. Taako had gone worryingly quiet on their drive up, texting non-stop and getting visibly more and more angry. Kravitz followed at a safe distance while Taako used Mage Hand to pull open one of the heavy wooden front doors, stormed into the school, and snatched the sign in clipboard and pen without a word to the woman sitting there.

Kravitz didn't think he'd ever seen his boyfriend like this and wasn't really sure if attempts to calm him down would be welcome. Similar strong emotions, like sadness and mania, were best observed in Taako from a distance until he chose to let other people get close.

The Human woman sitting behind the front desk, in the face of Taako's simmering irritation, was quick to take the clipboard back and copy Taako's name down onto a sticky nametag, handing it to him. She didn't comment on his mood either but it was out of wariness. 

Taako turned to Kravitz but he was already moving, giving a placating smile to the desk staffer and signing his own name and relationship to Angus underneath Taako's. Taako marched off toward the principal's office, which is the only reason Kravitz felt confident enough to write "Step-Father" in the relationship box. It was easier than trying to decide what exactly they were in relation to each other. Angus, miniature detective he was, would probably find out sooner or later anyway.

"Where's Angus?" Kravitz heard Taako ask from the other room, voice low and about half a Wisdom save from a Suggestion. He sent another smile at the desk staffer, accepted his name tag, and followed the sound of Taako's voice.

Kravitz stopped short in a large atrium decorated in deep blue, dotted with uncomfortable looking furniture. Angus was sitting in a chair near the main hall, backpack at his feet, while Taako argued with an administrator who presumably came out of her office to head him off. Angus' narrow frame trembled while he cried, twin streams of tears dripping down his face and into his lap. And, most distressingly, his left eye from eyebrow to cheekbone was darkened with a livid bruise.

"All of you can go fuck yourselves," Taako said, taking an intimidating step forward toward the administrator. 

In a split second decision, Kravitz Blinked in front of him and gently held him by the upper arms. "Darling, I don't think that's a good idea," he said in a soothing voice, even though he was moments from losing his own cool demeanor. "Shouldn't we check on Angus?" he asked, tilting his head a bit toward the hall and Angus' seat.

The dark fire in Taako's eyes didn't dim, but he gritted his teeth and pulled away, turning to instead kneel in front of Angus on the dark wood floor. Taako said something too low for Kravitz to make out and lifted a hand to brush a few curls away from his black eye.

Angus' silent crying was suddenly accompanied by breathless sobs and Kravitz's heart ached to go comfort him as well, but he settled for facing the administrator. "Taako got a call a few minutes ago. The principal wanted to see us?"

The woman, also Human from her face and height, frowned up at Kravitz. "We called Taako, yes," she said slowly. "And you are…?"

She was lucky Kravitz was used to hiding his impatience instead of lashing out like a certain petite Elf. He smiled at her and tugged a little on his shirt above his nametag to pull her focus. "Kravitz. Very nice meeting you. The principal?"

"It's alright, Jennifer. Taako, I'm glad you came so quickly." Kravitz looked over at the Drow standing in the doorway of the opposite office, who's door was closed a few seconds earlier. He had the typical silver-white hair of his race but instead of wearing it long, it was cut in a short style that made him look incredibly young. Combined with his casual slacks and pale orange button down, he looked less like a principal and more like a substitute teacher. "Could you bring Angus in with you, please?" he asked, tone informal and exceedingly familiar.

Kravitz put his hands in his back pockets to prevent balling them into fists at a sudden spike of jealousy. He highly doubted Taako would have any kind of non-professional relationship with his son's principal but having a boyfriend as gorgeous as Taako meant a lot of unfounded beliefs about others' intentions. 

Taako stood up in one graceful motion and lifted Angus with him, settling him on his hip. Kravitz always thought that was the most adorable sight but it looked like the Drow didn't agree; his upper lip lifted in an obvious sneer and he quickly returned to his office.

Kravitz gestured Taako in first and was rewarded with a small but sweet smile that successfully crushed his jealous feelings. Taako sat down in one of two chairs in front of the principal's desk--Kelaern Dhalmiir, Kravitz read from his nameplate--and perched Angus in his lap, wrapping both arms around the boy's waist and kissing the back of his head. Kravitz shut the door behind himself and sat in the other chair next to Taako.

"How did this happen?" Taako asked flatly, without even a greeting. "Who hit my kid?"

Dhalmiir sighed, leaning forward in his chair to prop his elbows on the desk. "Angus and three other students had an argument that turned into a physical fight. The other three students are _not_ unharmed, and their parents will consider pressing charges."

Kravitz laid a quelling hand on Taako's thigh before he could get even more angry. "My attorney can deal with that," he said softly. Taako just glanced at him but thankfully didn't start shouting again.

"What could an eight-year-old do to students twice his fucking age?" Taako asked instead, restlessly tapping the heel of one boot on the floor.

Dhalmiir's gaze shifted from Taako down to Angus; Kravitz noticed he was holding his broken glasses carefully in his hands and was likely very visually impaired. "Angus cast Scorching Ray at the three of them."

Silence. And then, Taako laughed, sounding surprised. "I didn't even know you gained a level, Angles. How were your ranged attacks?"

Angus lifted his right arm to wipe his good eye with his sleeve. "All hits," he said, and got a gasp in response that just made him smile.

"That's my magic boy!"

"Taako, can we be serious about this?" Dhalmiir asked, folding his hands on top of his desk.

"We can, Kelaern," Taako replied with a sharp grin. "We can be serious about you threatening me with lawsuits--"

Kravitz interrupted Taako, voice hesitant but enough to make him pause. "What happened? I'm sure Angus didn't attack anyone unprovoked."

Angus shook his head, wincing when the skin around his eye pulled. "They were saying things about my dad. I just, I called them a curse word, and then one of them grabbed me." He sniffled and scrubbed at his cheek again. "When I tried to get away the other one punched me, and I just… I thought about what Taako would do. And I cast."

"That's exactly what you should have done, pumpkin," Taako said, gently squeezing him around the middle again. He looked up at Dhalmiir with narrowed eyes. "I expect the three of them to be punished, even though Angus already kicked their shit in by himself."

"I hope you expect _Angus_ to be punished too." Dhalmiir shuffled a few papers on his desk. He avoided Taako's eyes like he was afraid of him, for all his attitude before. "There is absolutely no physical violence allowed on our campus," he said. "Angus will be suspended for a week."

"I understand, sir," Angus murmured before Taako could say anything even more inflammatory. "I can accept my punishment."

Kravitz could practically see the clock on Taako's restraint ticking down to zero and decided to step in one last time. "If that's all, Mr Dhalmiir, I'd like to get Angus healed sooner rather than later."

Dhalmiir looked at him appraisingly. "I need to speak to Taako for a moment. Alone."

The look Taako sent Dhalmiir was scorching. "Fine," he said, relinquishing his hold on Angus. Kravitz stood up with the intention to take Angus' hand and walk him out, but to his surprise Angus held out both arms to be lifted. Kravitz did as asked and leaned forward briefly to give Taako a chaste kiss before leaving the room.

Once they were back out in the atrium, Kravitz shifted Angus a bit so he could examine his face. It looked even worse close up, a few shallow scrapes along the side of his nose shining red and irritated. "Are you really alright, sweetheart?" Kravitz asked softly, casting Prestidigitation to make a little cotton square and gently cleaning the uninjured parts of Angus' face.

"I'm okay," Angus said, letting Kravitz tilt his head this way and that. "I really hated what they were saying about Taako, so." He shrugged a little.

Kravitz smiled at him, though, proud despite himself. Angus was young but just as defensive of Taako as Taako was of him. "That's totally understandable. Honestly, since Taako has already given his full approval, _I_ think you did exactly the right thing." He paused for a moment, and then asked in a low voice, "What was the curse word, by the way?"

Angus grinned as best he could without pulling at his injury. "You and Taako were made for each other," he said, snickering at Kravitz' embarrassed eye roll. "I called them, um, fuckwits." Kravitz laughed so loudly he was afraid it would echo around the truly cavernous room, but it was worth it for Angus' gleeful expression. "It was all I could think of, in the moment."

"No, trust me, it's very good." Kravitz hitched Angus a little higher on his side and kissed his forehead a few inches above the black eye. "Are you in pain or anything? I don't have any healing spells…."

At the reminder, Angus' face fell again. "It doesn't hurt. I'm just… do you think Taako is mad at me? For getting suspended?"

Kravitz was shaking his head halfway through Angus' question. "I think he's going to take a week off of work, actually," he said in a thoughtful voice, "and maybe the three of us can go on a little holiday to Ankhapur." Angus' eyes went wide and Kravitz winked at him.

"But Ankhapur is so far, that would be so expensive--"

"Sweetheart, if anyone deserves it, it's you."

Angus couldn't hide his nervous little smile, despite pressing the uninjured side of his face against Kravitz' shoulder. Kravitz didn't push him to speak again, but he did move out of sight of the main hall so passing students wouldn't see them. He also put Angus' bag over his own shoulder.

Taako's conversation with Dhalmiir ended soon after. Taako opened the door and walked out with a dark look on his face that lifted the moment he saw Angus again.

"We wanted to surprise you with dinner out, pumpkin, but looks like it'll be an early lunch." Taako reached out and took Angus' backpack from Kravitz, seeming much calmer than he had before the meeting.

Kravitz said as much, and Taako grinned sharply. "Oh I'm still pissed off as fuck," he said with a deceptively light tone. "It's just covered up with pride at how fucking resourceful my little boy is." Angus laughed quietly into Kravitz' shirt. "Come on, I want out of here. School always gives me the creeps."

"Is that why you're so mean to my professors in parent-teacher conferences?" Angus asked, looking up with a sly expression that was the exact replica of Taako's. If Kravitz didn't know better, he'd have assumed Angus was Taako's biological son.

"Excuse me, you little brat?" Taako wiggled his fingers at Angus, gold sparks jumping between his fingertips. It was a similar move to the one he used to threaten Kravitz into washing dishes or doing Taako's laundry. "You're missing about a hundred spell slots for going up against me."

Angus reached out, leaning in Kravitz' hold, and covered the sparks with his hand. "Can we go home before lunch?" he asked quietly.

Taako's grin softened and he ended his spell. "Whatever you want, pumpkin," he said in the same low voice.

Angus shifted until Kravitz set him down on the floor, and then he adjusted the sweater of his uniform and ran a hand through his hair. When he finished putting himself together, he reached for Taako's hand again. "I'm ready to leave, then. Thanks for not being mad."

"As if, Angles. I'm the complete fucking opposite of mad at you." Taako gently tugged on their joined hands. "I wasn't kidding about the school thing." Angus surprised Kravitz by grabbing his hand as well on their way out and, despite his worrying injury, the little smile Angus aimed at him was adorable.

**Author's Note:**

> this fic was really supposed to be more krav&ango than krav/taako, which is why i only included bits and pieces of their date. i want to have more relationshippy stuff between them in a different fic im working on
> 
> let me know if you liked it and it read okay! especially if it seemed like time jumped weird or was confusing at any point. im not very good at making time pass quickly but also smoothly.
> 
> edit: and also, chaboy went back into their 2011 fanfiction account. 1) there were some bomb ass stories in there i was a better writer at 14 than i am now and 2) reviewers on that site are assholes. pls yall dont be mean to me ;__;


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